


hold on to everything

by kadma



Category: H2O: Just Add Water
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Secret Relationship, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 13:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12482904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kadma/pseuds/kadma
Summary: "Looks like I've got you all to myself," Rikki whispers; Emma's heart does a somersault into her throat.Written forTrick or Treat Exchange 2017.





	hold on to everything

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agirlnamedtruth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedtruth/gifts).



Emma's quite finicky about the whole thing. She schedules the entire day into little blocks so the mood should, technically, feel right when the time comes. Cleo and Lewis have been sent away on their romantic weekend; Rikki's dad doesn't mind what she does, and it was Emma's mom who suggested a girl's night in the first place.

Of course, she's nervous. Probably more than she should be. And she knows why. Everything else about her isn't quite normal: Emma just wants this to be.

Even her relationship with Rikki isn't conventional. It's a secret she'll keep for as long as she has to. It's scary, and sometimes in the middle of the night, it feels like there are bricks on her chest, squeezing the air out of her lungs. But she likes having Rikki, likes knowing that she has Rikki in a way that no-one else does.

When it's time to begin, officially, Emma smooths the pleats in her dress and pastes an appropriately friendly smile onto her face before opening the door. Rikki's hair looks like a cotton-candy halo when it's wrapped up in a bun. Her tight denim shorts cling to her legs and her eyes are sparkling with anticipation.

"Hey there, stranger."

"Hello, Rikki."

She slings her gym bag over her shoulder and sidles in, eyeing Emma's summery outfit. "What's first, captain?"

"Well, Mum's going out to dinner with Dad and Elliot's got enough snacks and homework to keep himself busy tonight." Emma doesn't even try to keep the excitement out of her voice. Rikki drapes her arms over Emma's shoulders and pulls her in for a quick hug.

"Looks like I've got you all to myself," she whispers; Emma's heart does a somersault into her throat.

Together, they attempt to make fresh lemonade and a mix of sweet and salted popcorn, lounging in the back yard and cooling their mouths on icy-pops after the effort. Emma talks more than she listens; Rikki has that look in her eye, a playful spark that dances along with her eyebrow raises and low chuckles. Once in a while, her tongue darts out, dyed the blue of the icy-pop, and when she licks her lips, she stains them a pale purple.

"You're looking at me a lot, Em."

"Mhm." Emma sips her lemonade. She pulls a face. "Too sour."

"More sugar?" Rikki winks, pursing her lips; Emma manages a chuckle.

"Maybe later," she says.

Three hours pass idly by, the sun has finally dipped below the horizon of the sky. Bathed in darkness, Emma and Rikki lounge around on her bed, Rikki shoving handfuls of salted popcorn into her mouth whilst Emma drily comments on the implausibility of the situation the movie protagonists have discovered.

"You can't actually cut a tendon like that, you know. The angle just isn't right. It's basic anatomy! We learned it last year in Biology, remember?"

"Uh-huh."

Emma flops over onto her stomach. She rolls a pair of fuzzy pink socks onto her feet and inches just a little closer to Rikki, who doesn't seem to notice her presence. With a frustrated sigh, she places her chin on Rikki's shoulder.

"Emma, what are you doing?" The look on Rikki's face makes Emma sit upright, as if jolted with electricity.

"The movie's almost over," she says. Her eyes attempt to plead what her words cannot.

"Yeah, we're finally getting to the good bits. Pay attention."

"Rikki."

"What?"

"I didn't invite you over only to watch movies and eat junk food and gossip."

"Okay?" Rikki's brow furrow together as she alternates her gaze from the modest screen to Emma's wringing hands. "Thanks, Emma. I'm having fun too."

"That's not what I mean! I just-- I wanted to kiss you."

Rikki almost drops Emma's mother's favorite glass bowl.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Emma's face feels warm all of a sudden. She shuffles to the edge of the bed with the intention of opening a window, but Rikki's face is tinged a light pink. "If you want to kiss me too, now's a good time."

Rikki is very still for a moment. She puts down the bowl, carefully, and turns to face Emma. She swallows. She reaches out to touch Emma, as if she's made of sand and will crumble under pressure; her fingers stroke Emma's cheek. Emma closes her eyes and leans in. Her heart is beating so fast she can hear the echoes in her head: she's sure Rikki can hear the relentless drumming too.

When their lips meet, it's like a wave of fire ghosting over a sheet of ice; her movements are shaky and stiff, whilst Rikki seemingly melts into the motions of what a kiss should be. They break. Rikki looks at Emma with a question, her fingertips brushing Emma's damp lips. Emma grabs her by the back of her head and tries again. Slowly, she takes her time. Breathing through her nose, she finds a rhythm she likes, languid movements over Rikki's rough, salt-tinged, popcorn-flavoured lips. Rikki gasps as Emma's hands roam through her hair; she smiles into the kiss, a motion with makes Emma's heart feel like it's about to burst. The light smacking of their lips meeting and disconnecting should bother her, given how much she hates not-quite-there noises, but it doesn't.

Rikki squeezes Emma's arm as they break again, panting softly.

"Wow."

Tentatively, Emma sticks out her tongue and licks at the corners of her lips. There's still a hint of Rikki on her tongue. She looks up to find Rikki staring at her, wonderment in her eyes.

"I know you're good at pretty much everything," she chuckles, "but that one's the coolest."

"Cooler than making instant icy pops?"

"Definitely."

"I feel like I should be hurt, but..." Emma places a quick kiss on Rikki's nose.

"Ugh."

"What?"

Rikki crinkles her nose. "I'm gonna sneeze. Ah—Ah-- nope, it's gone."

Emma bops Rikki on the head with a box of tissues, before sighing, letting her shoulders drop, and resting her head on Rikki's lap. "Stop teasing me and watch the movie."

"You're totally right," says Rikki, wrapping her arms around Emma's shoulders. She feels soft and warm and her breath is slightly ragged, just like Emma. "You can't cut someone up like that. The angle's off. It just looks bad."

"I'm always right," Emma murmurs. "About the movie _and_ about how it'd feel kissing you."

"I know, baby." Rikki squeezes her arm. "I know."


End file.
